The book by the famous historian Jean Flory is dedicated to the famous English king Richard the Lionheart, who for both his contemporaries and descendants became a model of courage and chivalry. His life can serve as the best illustration of that heroic and turbulent era that was the European Middle Ages. A brilliant warrior, Richard spent his entire reign in search of adventure, in the saddle, fighting in battles or tournaments. The crowning achievement of his life was the crusade to the Holy Land, where he had the opportunity to measure his strength with Sultan Saladin himself, who had conquered the holy city of Jerusalem from Christians. Until his death, he never found time to pay attention to the kingdom of England, where, in general, he spent a little more than a month... So who was Richard - a wise ruler or a thoughtless adventurer? What is the secret of Richard's military skill, which won victories over eminent opponents? Answers to these and other questions are offered to the reader by a major researcher - medievalist Jean Flory.